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Ask HN: Does Cap & Trade make sense?
I am trying to establish a LED lighting company with all the benefits on energy savings. Reading and studying a lot about energy I do believe at this point that the real inconvenient truth is human production of CO2 is causing global warming.
The problem I have is all the focus on CO2 emission regulation. I do understand the politician they like to have some tool to regulate our energy consumption, but I am starting the conclusion that this whole cap and trade approach is the wrong road.
Some article describe this idea all the way to the next ponzi scheme, where the rich getter richer and the poor will loose out. As it is so massive in its approach that it is easy to envision how some people and corporation will make lots of money out of this. But the core issue on how to dramatically reduce energy consumption is left on the outside.
Am I a forming wrong ideas here or just read the wrong articles?
- wanderr 16y agoI think cap and trade has at least one major flaw: Unless every country is participating equally, activities that create a lot of CO2 will simply be outsourced to countries without the regulations. With CO2 emissions being a global problem, it may not help solve the problem very much at all (except maybe for things not worth outsourcing, or things that can't be outsourced like travel), while shifting revenue and jobs to different countries, which will then have a severe disincentive to ever considering joining the cap and trade game later.